Tips on how to remove the HVAC flap door cable???

["Turbo-T"]

Ok I have run into an issue. I am trying to remove the cable that attaches to the HVAC slide control on the dash above the radio.

The cable connects to a flap on the inside blower box. The cable is held on with some sort of a pressed on retainer (looks like a donut with little slits cut in the middle) and also the cable itself is on this rod that the donut retainer sits on, and of course it's plastic.

How do i get all of this off without breaking it?

How do i get the cable's retainer seperated? Looks like if I were to manage to get the donut retainer off it would still be held on.

Thanks in advance.

 

[charlief1]

Break it and then go to the local hardware store or parts store. It's basically a push nut and is easily replaced if you have most of the original to match it up with.

 

[DailyDrifter]

I agree with Charlie :biggrin:. Those a/c cables are a bitch to get out in one peice without breaking the clip.

 

["Turbo-T"]

Not only that but I also learned it's virtually impossible to un clip it where it clips into the heater blower box. I tried getting the remnants of mine out as it broke but no luck.

 

[just plain john]

I too just ran into this problem. You're speaking of the cable thet's connected to the hot/cold slide lever, correct? I bought a dash from a guy and the retainer that I think you are talking about is broken. I now need a replacement. Anyone have a source you reccomend?

 

["Turbo-T"]

Yes John this is the cable that connects hot/cold slider to the air box flap door. It has a clip, about an inch long that secures the cable into the air box and both ends of the cable are held on with press nuts.

They don't make new cables anymore, so gotta be careful with them.

 

[just plain john]

Hmmm, that leaves me with a non functioning damper door. I gotta find another cable somewhere.

 

["Turbo-T"]

John what part of your cable is broken? Is it the clip that secures the cable to the blower box? If so i have a tip that...well...isn't exactly the correct way of fixing it, but I did it and it seems to be working....

 

[just plain john]

That's exactly what I'm talking about. I removed the original Elco dash around a year ago. I don't recall unfastening the cable, but I must have. Anyway, I have a small rectangular hole in the ducting where it's supposed to attatch. The Regal dash came with this cable but the attatchment point on the cable sheath is broken off. I don't recall if I sold the old unit with the dash or not, maybe I still have the old one boxed away somewhere. How did you fix yours?

 

["Turbo-T"]

John here's what I did.

I took an old electric soldering pencil and let it get real hot. Then I removed the glove box door.

Then I undid all the 9/32 screws for the HVAC control face plate. I did put one screw back in, the closest one, top right hand corner, that is closest to the cigg lighter outlet.

The cable itself is a bitch to work with inside, but I managed to grab it and mate up the broken end of it with the piece that was still stuck inside the blower box.

Then carefully without burning myself, I put the electric soldering iron up to the plastic....I let the two ends melt together. Then I carefully put the soldering iron down while continuing to hold the cable in place. I did this for another minute then carefully let loose of it.

Afterwards I repeated the same procedure for the top, which BTW is more difficult since you can't see thru there.

So far it's held in tact, long enough for me to mix up a batch of epoxy and finish off the job. I put epoxy on both the top and bottom. I used the 5 minute epoxy to give myself some time to get it worked into place.

Then I let the whole thing sit overnight to cure.

Come next morning I could push the HVAC control panel back in and bolt it down without the cable snapping off where I had repaired it at. (I tried this same stunt just using the melted plastic and no epoxy and the cable snapped off due to the added stress when the HVAC panel is pushed back in.)

Now as mentioned, it's not the correct way of fixing it, but it's about the only way I could....I wanted to just remove the plastic clip that was stuck inside the rectangular hole. I tried using screwdrivers and needle nose pliers and it wasn't coming out.

Another method I almost tried, was to get one of those rubberized clamp loops from the auto parts store and clamping the cable to the side of the blower box, but that requires drilling into the blower box and I didn't want to go that route.

 

[just plain john]

Both are good ideas. I see a downside with your method though. What if you ever need to get it out of there again? With the rubber clamp method you could still remove it if necessary. I'm currently looking for another cable, but not much luck so far. I probably should go search my parts, I might have the old Elco cable somewhere.

 

["Turbo-T"]

Well I tried to keep the epoxy off the heater box as to not secure the whole thing permanentely, but I think if the cable ever has to come out, the whole air box will have to come off anyways along with screwdrivers to get back inside the air box to remove the clip from the back side. If not the air box, certainly the dash.

But let me tell you, it's a bitch and a half working in those tight spaces.

BTW i dunno if all G bodies used the same air box and cable but it's possible they do. I do have a spare cable but the clip has a crack in it and a piece missing.

 

[just plain john]

I hear ya about the tight spaces, but right now the dash is out. Of course I can't install the cable until it's in, but the seat is out too so that will make it a bit easier. I've been down in my back this weekend and haven't left the house, but maybe tomorrow I'll search my parts and see if I still have the old one.